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Sincerely,

Scott

Heroin and Opioid Abuse – A Deadly Epidemic

Pennsylvania is in the grips of a drug abuse and overdose epidemic the
likes of which has never been seen. Authorities point to the overprescribing
of opioid drugs as the cause of so many overdoses and addictions, many of
which have led to the use of cheap yet powerful heroin.

According a recent report by the Drug Enforcement Administration, nearly
3,400 drug-related overdose deaths were reported in Pennsylvania in 2015, an
increase of more than 23% over 2014. In approximately four out of five of
those deaths, the presence of heroin or at least one opioid was reported.

Nearly half of all young people who inject heroin surveyed in three
recent studies reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to use
heroin, showing some proof to the research that pain medication may actually
open the door to heroin use. The end result is a crisis that affects all
Pennsylvanians – a growing and deadly epidemic that must be addressed.

#ACOMMONWEALTH CRISIS
Telephone Town Hall Scheduled for Sept. 21

Our state’s legislators, law enforcement officials, public health
agencies and educators are working to combat drug availability, address drug
treatment and promote drug education. But they need your help and feedback.

At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21, a Telephone Town Hall will be
held from the state capitol to hear ideas and suggestions from state
residents about how best to combat this serious epidemic.

The panel will be hosted by Senator Gene Yaw, who serves as the chairman
of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. He will be joined by experts from
across the Commonwealth and other special guests to answer questions about
heroin and opioid addiction and what the legislature is doing to curb the
use of these dangerous drugs.

Please
click here to sign up ahead of time to receive a phone call a few
moments before the town hall meeting begins. You can also sign up by texting
the keyword "talkheroin" to 828282. You can simply listen to the
conversation or join in. Audio streaming for the tele-town hall will also be
available.

I hope you will join us for this important meeting. Thank you.

Seeking Solutions to the Crisis

In July 2014, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a bipartisan legislative
agency, began a series of statewide public hearings to examine the
increasing use of heroin and opioids in rural Pennsylvania.

The hearings have also resulted in action by the Senate to address this
issue, and additional legislative measures will be introduced in the near
future.

The Senate also passed and sent to the House
Senate Bill 1202 which requires continuing medical education training
for prescribers in pain management and dispensing and prescribing practices
of opioids.

While Harrisburg will not have all the answers, the
Legislature can provide valuable resources and mandate changes that will
help communities combat heroin and opioids.

Click here for details about the
package of bills currently being considered to address this crisis.

New State Funding to Fight Heroin, Opioid Abuse

One thing has become clear in the fight to stop deaths due to heroin and
opioid abuse. We must find ways for addicts to receive treatment that helps
them recover. That is a significant challenge because the demand for
treatment beds has outpaced funding and resources. Nationally, funding is
available to provide help to only one of every 10 people who need treatment.
Approximately 80 percent of people who go to the emergency room for an
overdose receive no follow-up care, and as a result, many relapse.

Recognizing this critical need, the General Assembly included $15 million
in this year’s state budget to combat heroin and opioid addiction, including
funds for emergency addiction treatment and behavioral health services.

Money isn’t the only answer to this multi-faceted crisis. But ultimately,
treatment costs are going to be cheaper than the incarceration costs – and
more importantly -- they can save lives.

Sobering Statistics

Nearly 3,400 Pennsylvanians died of a drug overdose in 2015.

On average, at least seven Pennsylvanians are dying every day from
overdoses—now the lead cause of accidental death.

One in 10 young adults between ages 18 and 25 have used
prescription drugs non-medically in the past year. Between 2009 and
2012, the number of Pennsylvanians who have overdosed on heroin rose 23
percent.

Approximately 80 percent of heroin addicts can trace their addiction
back to prescription opioids.